Nancy Salgado, who has worked at a Chicago McDonald's for 10 years and makes $8.25 an hour, asked the McResource representative a number of questions related to getting assistance to pay for her heating bill, her groceries and her sister's medical expenses. Salgado told the representative that she was recording the call for her sister.

The helpline operator never asked Salgado how much she made per hour, and how many hours per week she worked beyond the fact that she was a full-time employee. But she said that Salgado "definitely should be able to qualify for both food stamps and heating assistance."

The representative then pointed her toward a number of resources in Chicago, such as food pantries and a program that would help cover some of her heating bill. She said she would email her specific phone numbers and programs.

The operator also explained that the McResource line is available to help McDonald's workers who need help navigating the process of getting public assistance. The helpline's phone number is posted in fliers at many McDonald's locations.

That would be a choice that you made, that you'd have to live with. I'd work multiple jobs myself if I had to.

Yes, bootstraps is always the answer

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Originally Posted by listopencil

Walk. I didn't have a car when I started working fast food.

Yes, bootstraps is always the answer

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Originally Posted by listopencil

Live within your means in a geographic area that is suitable to your comfort.

Yes, bootstraps is always the answer

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Originally Posted by listopencil

Have you ever been poor?

I grew up poor. I started working when I was 11 in a family restaurant and giving money to my mother since my father didn't pay up. I was lucky in that we had family to help. Not everyone has that luxury.

Again, you're still ignoring the wealth redistribution from tax payers to shareholders that is essential to companies like McDonalds and WalMart's business model and blaming the workers for low wages. 'Murrrica Wooooooo

Pride is the answer. You can lay around waiting for someone to take care of you or you can get up and do something. Your choice.

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I grew up poor. I started working when I was 11 in a family restaurant and giving money to my mother since my father didn't pay up. I was lucky in that we had family to help. Not everyone has that luxury.

Did you ever consider the possibility that this made you stronger?

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Again, you're still ignoring the wealth redistribution from tax payers to shareholders that is essential to companies like McDonalds and WalMart's business model and blaming the workers for low wages. 'Murrrica Wooooooo

Yes, I am. Paying your workers so little that they have to rely on social welfare is redistributing money paid by tax payers to support those people to shareholders because those companies are operating on reduced/welfare subsidized employment costs.

Without reading the posts I am curious. Seems the problem with people on welfare is that they are moochers who live on it. In this case it is a woman who worked there for 10 years and can't make it.

You can make all the excuses in the world: she didn't educate herself for a higher paying job, they are cheap etc. But it comes down to the fact that minimum wage (which she is above) isn't cutting it. The fact remains that she isn't getting a chance to make a living.

She's been working there for 10 years. How is she not "making it"?

She's apparently provided for herself well enough that she hasn't had to change her situation over the last decade.

You don't know that they are paying a 30% tax rate in the US. They don't break out tax rate by country in their financial statements and McDonalds operates in a lot of higher than US tax jurisdictions. That is their tax rate across the globe. In some countries it will be higher and in some it will be lower.

Unless you argue that they are paying 0 in US taxes, the argument stands.

Yes, I am. Paying your workers so little that they have to rely on social welfare is redistributing money paid by tax payers to support those people to shareholders because those companies are operating on reduced/welfare subsidized employment costs.

No, you aren't. You're just blaming large companies for our welfare system because they won't overpay for unskilled labor.

No, you aren't. You're just blaming large companies for our welfare system because they won't overpay for unskilled labor.

To maintain the level of profitability (which drives share prices and dividends) that those companies enjoy currently, they use low labor costs to get there. Their business model in the US is dependent on our safety net to have the level of profitability that they do. The shortfall between what they pay and what their employees receive in welfare to survive is pure wealth redistribution from the tax payers to shareholders.

To maintain the level of profitability (which drives share prices and dividends) that those companies enjoy currently, they use low labor costs to get there. Their business model in the US is dependent on our safety net to have the level of profitability that they do. The shortfall between what they pay and what their employees receive in welfare to survive is pure wealth redistribution from the tax payers to shareholders.

No, it's not. You really can live off of a minimum wage job. It's a standard of living below what I chose for myself but you can do it.